Process of and apparatus for manufacturing water-gas



J. D. AVRRRLL.

L-latented Sept. 13.18.81.-

Ill 1r N. PETER Phnxo uumgmpner 15mn un. D

(No Model.)

* PROCESS UP ANU APPARATUS PoR MANUFACTURING WATER GAS.`

No. 246,998.l

Wilnesss.

f, `-Ui\nTfE1;) STATES PATENT OFrIcE,

JOHN D..1AVERELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO vREONl BARNES, OF

SAME PLAGE. y

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR-MANUFACTURING WATER-GAS.A

, t, SPECIFICATION formngpart of Letters Patent No. 246,998, dated September 13, 1881.

Application led January 17,1881. (Novmodel.)

' useful ImprovementsinProcess of and Apparatus for the Manufacture ot' Water-Gas; and Ido hereby-declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and Vuse the same, reference being had'v rol the accompanying draw,- ings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. This invention relates to certain Vimprovements in the process of manufacturing watergas and in apparatus for carrying such process into effect. A' 4 Heretofore in themanufacture of water-gas it has been customary to pass steam, in conjunctionwith a hydrocarbon, through a body of incandescent carbon contained in a suitable retort,wherebythe'stea in and hydrocarbon are decomposed and converted into fixedy gases, Whichl are collected for use. A serious objection has been encountered,however,in thefact that the steam and hydrocarbon rapidly reduce the temperature of the incandescent solid carbon', rendering'it necessary to suspend the geni-l eration of thel gas' from time to `time to permit v the solid carbon to regain its temperature.

Attempts, 'have' been made to obviate this objection by usingtwo retorts and passing the gas-producin g materialthrough the same alternately. This method has proved objectionable for the reason ythat when two retorts are thus employed the gas-producing material does not pass directly through the body of incandescent carbon, but is converted intogasin one retort, which gas passes-into the other, andis subjected to an injurious heat.

Myinvention is designed to obviate this objection, and to provide a process that is virtually continuous and an apparatus that can be operated without material interruption.

g To this end myinvention consists,flrst, in an improved process of decomposing steam in conjunction with hydrocarbon oil or vapor,

`for'the manufacture of water-gas, by causing 5o "such liquid hydrocarbon oil or vapor to pass 'altfe'r'nately in opposite direct-ions through a "body of incandescent solid carbonin a suitable retort, whereby thecarbon at one side may be permitted to regain its temperature while the 4:steam Iand hydrocarbon oil or vapor are entering at the other, Without removin gthe solid carbon, andthe gas can be continuously generated, as more fully hereinafter specified; second, in

'thecombinatiom with a retort or retorts mount- 6o ed in acupola or furnace, of certain connections at the top and bottom, leading from a steamgenerator and from a hydrocarbon tank or vessel ora va| )orgenerator' tothe retort or rel torts, and certain reduction-pipes leading from 6 5 opposite/,ends of the retorts, the connections and pipes being providedwith valves, whereby the 'steam and hydrocarbon oil orvapor may be admitted and the gas drawn off alternately at opposite ends of the retort or retorts, as more 7o l fully hereinafter set forth; third, in the combi'- nation, with the steam-injecting pipe andA the hydrocarbon oil or vapor induction pipe, of a drip-pocket located in the retort and dri p-tube and valve, whereby the liquids resulting from any condensation of the steam and hydrocarbon vapor may escape, as and for the purposes 'more fully hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical sectional view of rnyimproved apparatus; 8o

Fig. 2, a longitudinal'vertical section of the same, showing the fuel-feeding devices; Fig. 3,

a view of the gas-generator, partly in horizontal section and partly in plan; and Fig. 4, an en larged horizontal sectional view of the retort.

The letter Aindicatesa cupola or furnace, in which the vertical retort-s B are located in such manner as to leave spaces D at each side and a space, C, between said retorts. The said cupola or furnace may be constructedof any suit 9o able material and of any desired shape; but it is preferably constructed of metal, of cylindrical shape, and provided with a lining, E, of fire-brick or clay or other refractory material.

The letter F indicates the're box or cham- 95 ber of the cupola or furnace, which is provided atits top immediately with partitions G, formed of fire-tiles, to protect the bottoms of the retorts, the heat from the fire-box passing up into the cupola or furnace through a space between thel tiles into the cupola and through the tlues between and at the sides of the retorts.

The retorts may be constructed of any suitable material and shape; but they are preferably constructed of cast metal,of approximately elliptical shapein horizontal section, with openended cylindricalextensions Bpassing through the top of the cupola or furnace, the extensions being provided with removable covers H, secured in placed by the usual screw, I, and crossbar, so that the retort may be readily charged with solid carbon.

The retorts, near the bottoms, are provided with cylindrical lateral extensions B2, which are open at their ends and provided with covers H and suitable means of attachment, to permit the retorts to be cleaned when required, the said extensions passing through the wall of ,the cupola or furnace at one side.

The letter J indicates a partition of lirebrick interposed between the Walls of the retort and cupola, forming iiues C and D. These partitions extend from the tiles G in the lower Y part ot' the cupola or furnace to near the top,

where they terminate, leaving suitable passages to connect the said lues C and D.

The letter l indicates the passage leading from the lues D to the chimney K, through which the products of combustion escape.

The retorts are provided with flanged ribs or anchors M, castor otherwise secured to the outside wall, and are provided with a covering of fire brick or clay, which is securely held in place by the ribs' or anchors, the said ribs or anchors serving also as a means by which any injury to the coating may be readily repaired. In some instances, when the retorts are of more than ordinary dimensions, the tiles Gr may be supported by means of the tiles N, and thus insure the proper support of the retorts.

The letter O indicates a pocket cast or otherwise formed in the interior of the retorts, at one side of the same, for the purpose hereinafter explained. e

The letter P indicates a steam-chamber cast or otherwise formed on the upper part of the retort, at one side ofthe extension B. rllhe said chamber connects by means of a pipe, Q, with a superheater, It, which is connected with a boiler or steam-generator, preferably with the boiler supplying the steam to the engine of the gasworks.

The letter S indicates a pipe leading from l a reservoir containing hydrocarbon oil, or from a vaporizing-chamber containing such hydrocarbon. The said pipe extends through the steam-chamber to aboutalittlebelowthe mouth l P', connecting said Vsteam-chamber with the interior of the retorts, so that the superheated and hydrocarbon oil or vapor pipes leading from the superheater and hydrocarbon oil reservoir or vapor-generator to the extensions H at the lower portions of the retorts. These respective pipes are provided with suitable `valves, by means of which the steam or hydrocarbon oil or vapor maybe injected into either end of the retort.

From the pocket O extends a drip-tube, T, which passes in an inclined direction through thepartition J and the side of the cupola or' furnace. provided with a drip-cock, a, extending down ward, and with a stuffing-box, V, at its extremity. Within the said tubeA is located a brush or scraper, YV, mounted upon a rod, NV', provided with a suitable handle, and adapted to be reciprocated back and forth through the stuiiing-box ior the purpose of clearing the drip-tube readily if it should become clogged.

The letter X indicates a fan or blower, and Y a hopper containing coal-dust or other comminuted fuel,thesaidhopperbeingconnectedwith the pipe Z, leading to the tire box or chamber F, so that the fuel may be carried by the blast intosaid tire box or chamber, where it is ignited and furnishes the heat for heating the retorts.

The letter c indicates two stand-pipes extending upward from the extensions at the lower pa rts ofthe retorts, and connecting with a horizontal pipe, d, leading` to an eduction-pipe, c, which connects with the upper extensions, B', of the retorts and with the washer by means of a vertical pipe, b. The said stand-pipes c, as well as the @duction-pipes e, are provided with valves c', by means of which communication with the retorts can beopened or closed at will, to discharge the gas from the upper or lower parts of the retorts, as may be desired. The

`pipe I) passes down into the washer and is sealed by the water therein, and through the said pipe b extends a perforated spray or jet tube, f, connected with a suitable water-supply pipe, g. The said water-supply pipe g also connects by means of a pipe, g', with the interior of a conic frustnm located around the lower end of the pipe b, within the washer. These devices serve to supply the washer with the necessary water, and by the introduction of the water into the said pipe b and its discharge into the washer the gas is cooled and partly condensed, causing a partial vacuum in the pipes and retorts, whereby the generation of the gas in the retorts is materially promoted and its escape from the retorts greatly assisted. The letter c indicates an air-pipe connecting with a suitable blast-generator and with the lower extensions, H', by means of which air may be supplied to the solid carbon in the retorts to start the combustion of the same at the beginning of the operation, the said pipe bein g provided with a valve,by means of which the supply of air may be cut oft at the proper stage. f

The operation of myinvention will be readily understood in connection with the above de- The outer end of said drip-tube is*v IOO IIO

`. n -mences, the oxygen of the steam uniting with scription, and is as follows: The retorts are lirst properly charged with solid carbon, preferably such as` is deposited in gas-retorts, and

the same ignited and brought to an incandescent heat. The steam and hydrocarbon oil or vapor are then admitted at one end of the reerl y started in the fire-box and thefan and comminutedfuel devices putin operation to maintain the heat in the retorts, the decomposition of the steam and hydrocarbon oil or vapor, in conjunction with the solid hydrocarbon, comthe incandescent carbon, 4forming carbouic oxideau kinflammable gas-and liberating the hydrogen,while the hydrocarbon oil or Vaporis decomposed, forming a rich xed gas, which, uniting with the carbonio oxide and hydrogen, which possesses little illuminating qualities, brings the same up to the proper illuminating standard. When the operation has been continued for a .certain period of time and the temperature of theincandesceut carbon reduced so as to be no longer effective in decomposing the steam or hydrocarbon oil or vapor at the end at which they are introduced, the connections are changed so as to admit the steam and hydrocarbon oil or vapor at the opposite end of the 'retorts, where the temperature of the solid carbon is substantially unaiected, and to draw oft' the gas at the other end, 'givin g the fuel at the first-.mentioned end of the retort time to regain its incandescence, thus keeping up a continuous operation.

Y Having thus fully described my invention,

Ywhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 1. The process herein described of generating xed gases by passing steam and liquid hydrocarbon alternately in opposite directions vertically directly through a body of incandescent carbon, whereby the heat of the same may be maintained in said body, substantially as and for the purpose specified. t

2. In combination with a retort or retorts mounted in a cupola or furnace, the connectin g-pipes at the top and bottom, leading from a suitable steam-generator, and hydrocarbon oil or vapor reservoirs or vapor-generators, andthe gas-cdnction pipes leading to the washer or reservoir, whereby the, hydrocarbon oil or vapor and the gas may be alternately admitted and' drawn off from opposite sides of the body of incandescent solid carbon in the retort or retorts, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In combination with the steam-injecting pipe and the hydrocarbon oil or vapor induction pipe, the drip-pocket and drip-tube and valve, whereby the liquids resulting from the condensation ot' the steam and hydrocarbon vapor may escape to prevent the cooling of the incandescent carbon, substantially as set forth.

1n testimony whereof I :tfx my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

. JOHN D. AVERELL.

Witnesses: l

C. A. NEAL, F. L. OURAND. 

